The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

At the end of June, Lin Zhichao came to Japan and visited Toshihiro Komatsu, the new president (president) of Nippon Shipping Company.

Universal Group has two largest customers in Japan, namely Nippon Shipping Company and Yamaguchi Steamship Company. As for Sanko Shipping, its scale is somewhat different from the previous two, so it is the third largest customer.

These two companies are actually the world's largest shipping companies. Japan's shipping industry is still number one in the world, surpassing Greece; Hong Kong is surpassing Greece and becoming number two in the world.

However, Japanese shipping companies have the habit of leasing ships, so Hong Kong shipowners are their targets. For example, the total tonnage of Japanese shipping companies is about four million tons, but half of them are actually leased ships.

The oil Japan needs is supplied through Japanese shipping companies. It is impossible for Hong Kong shipowners to obtain transportation orders directly.

Because of this, the return rate for ships leased to Japanese shipping companies is about 5 points lower than that of ships rented to Western countries. Of course, Hong Kong shipowners do not suffer as they still have to rely on Japanese shipyards.

And why does Japan go to such trouble to make money for Hong Kong shipowners?

It’s not that they are stupid!

Instead, they supported Japanese shipyards through Hong Kong shipowners.

Taking Universal Group as an example, more than half of its business is in Europe and the United States, but more than 80% of its ships are built in Japan.

Therefore, Japan does not suffer, and neither does Hong Kong. Europe and the United States suffer because operating costs are too high and labor unions are too strong.

Nippon Shipping Company's conference room.

Komatsu Toshihiro said: "Mr. Lin, we are willing to lease your two 226,000-ton oil tankers, but the three-year contract reminds us of the situation in 1956, when the Suez Canal was closed for only one year. Shipping prices subsequently returned to normal.”

At this time, Lin Zhichao, along with management such as Feng Yongfa and Gao Qiqiang, sat down to negotiate with the other party.

In addition to internal management, Feng Yongfa also serves as the head of Asian affairs; while Bobby Blair is responsible for the European and American divisions and their business.

The division of labor between the two vice presidents is clear, and this method is suitable for the current situation - Lin Zhichao has full command.

Toshihiro Komatsu is the new president, but he was also a senior executive before, so he is very familiar with dealing with Universal Group. In his opinion, Lin Zhichao is really lucky or very smart.

He recently studied contracts and found that many contracts with Global Shipping will expire this year and next year; that is, the price of renewal is very high.

Of course, he does not think Lin Zhichao can accurately predict the closure of the Suez Canal, because the ships built last year also signed three-year contracts and will expire in 1969 (that is, there are very few).

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "President Komatsu, we have been cooperating with you for many years, and I have leased it to you at a cheap price. As for the lease period, I have always insisted on 3 to 4 years. Now I am building ten ships in Japan with a total weight of 226,000 tons. The oil tankers happened to catch up with this market, which is my good luck. I can also say that the Japanese shipyards are also very lucky. I am afraid that they can’t take orders now.”

Komatsu Toshihiro did not expect that Lin Zhichao was so good at negotiation. In fact, at this time they were begging Lin Zhichao to rent the boat to them. They originally wanted to rent three boats, but Lin Zhichao was only willing to rent two boats.

That’s right, shipping companies are now begging to rent ships!

To put it bluntly, if some ships expire at this time, the original tenants may be reluctant to return them and would rather renew the lease at a "high price".

"You're right! It's just that I'm worried that if we sign the contract for three years, we'll be at a disadvantage in terms of price."

Toshihiro Komatsu is very shrewd. He clearly knows that he is the weak and unreasonable party, but he just focuses on one issue.

Lin Zhichao thought about it and decided that he would still rely on Japanese shipping companies and shipbuilding companies (jumping in the queue to build ships) in the future; however, he did not want to lose his own interests.

Therefore, he immediately said: "I can understand President Komatsu's concern! Let's do this. We can sign a subsidiary gambling agreement. If the Suez Canal is opened within two years, the contract will be immediately invalid and a new one will be signed. Contract. In this way, you will not suffer losses if you encounter a situation like 1957."

In fact, he insisted on signing for three years without any problems.

I'm just saying that this is too blunt.

Over the years, his precise grasp of the shipping situation has made the lessor a little afraid of Lin Zhichao's shrewdness. Therefore, Toshihiro Komatsu’s ‘shrewdness’ is understandable.

When Toshihiro Komatsu heard this, he immediately became happy.

Why did he make "unreasonable troubles"? It was not because he was worried about being like 1956-1957, when the Suez Canal was closed for less than a year, but they paid a high-priced contract for three years. One ship would be fine, but it would be many ships.

Now that Lin Zhichao has signed this subsidiary treaty, his doubts have been completely dispelled. If the closure is still only for one year this time, then the contract can be canceled and re-signed immediately without them suffering a loss.

As for the opening of Suez in two years, they will only pay high rent for one more year at most.

Very cost effective!

This Chinese shipowner is indeed a man who does great things and deserves the trust of Japanese shipping companies!

Komatsu Toshihiro thought so.

"No problem! Thank you Mr. Lin for your commitment. You can rest assured that Universal Group will always be our best partner and most trusted partner."

Anyone who wants your trust should worry about you until 1980; Lin Zhichao seems to remember that in his previous life, Japanese shipping companies were having a hard time at that time, and it was even suspected that they were on the verge of bankruptcy and owed rent to Hong Kong shipowners; If the Japanese government was not worried about the country's credibility and instructed banking representatives to hold a meeting in Hong Kong, saying that it would guarantee the debts of Japanese shipping companies and not default on their debts, many people would not be able to sleep.

Therefore, Lin Zhichao had to carefully plan his business in the 1970s and try not to let himself lose too much wealth.

“A pleasure to work with”

Afterwards, everyone signed a memorandum of cooperation.

A three-year lease is enough for Lin Zhichao to recoup his capital. To put it simply, it is a return rate of 33.33% per year (approximately, depending on the operating expenses), of course it may be higher.

This price is lower than the outside return rate of more than 40%, but Universal Group, Japanese shipyards, and Japanese shipping companies have formed a tacit understanding, and Lin Zhichao will not rent to Japan at high prices at will.

As for customers in Europe and the United States, Lin Zhichao is pursuing a return rate of about 40%, which is slightly more profitable than in Japan. Of course, European and American oil companies are not fools. They lower prices every time, but even so, the profit margin of Universal Group can be high. in Japan.

“Let’s all accept payment in Japanese yen!”

"Of course. In my opinion, the Japanese yen is one of the most valuable currencies in the world."

"Thank you Mr. Lin for your opinion!"

At this point, Lin Zhichao's approach is also deeply appreciated by Japanese shipyards, Japanese shipping companies, and the Japanese government. As early as the late 1950s, Lin Zhichao had already accepted all payments in Japanese yen; before, he only accepted partial payment in Japanese yen.

Accepting payment in Japanese yen means that Japan does not need to pay foreign currency! They were so happy!

In Lin Zhichao's view, he would accept payment in Japanese yen from now on, even though he would have to pay taxes when returning to Hong Kong. However, the Japanese yen would appreciate in the early 1970s, which would not only be enough to pay taxes, but also allow Lin Zhichao to make a fortune.

As for before the early 1970s, wasn’t all the yen he accepted paid to Japanese shipbuilding?

Moreover, Lin Zhichao should have never been in debt since the early 1970s; then even if all the yen he accepted was not taken back to Hong Kong, he could still invest in Japanese stock markets and real estate. In short, money made money, and it was not wasted at all.

In a villa in Tokyo, Lin Zhichao was having a private meeting with Sayuri Yoshinaga.

He was in a good mood and rented out four 226,000-ton oil tankers in Japan to two shipping companies respectively. At the same time, those ships whose contracts were about to be renewed also expressed their intention to continue renewing their contracts.

The prices are very good!

To put it simply, after all the ships are launched this year, Lin Zhichao will control a fleet of US$900 million; based on a 20 to 25% return rate (some ships are under lease), he can earn US$200 million next year.

Not counting the ships he built this year, Universal Group can still have US$100 million left after paying off its 9.5 million-ton fleet debt.

Assuming that the ships launched next year are included, an additional profit of US$30 million and a debt of US$180 million are included; this is equivalent to Universal Group having a fleet of 12 million tons, but only US$50 million in debt remaining.

In fact, Global Shipping's debt ratio has remained at such an extremely low level, which is incredible.

Of course there are two reasons for this:

First, Universal Group has a large initial capital and a solid foundation!

Second, Universal Group bets on every market trend and finds the most profitable plan!

on the sofa.

"Mr. Lin, did something happy happen to you?" Sayuri said angrily.

Lin Zhichao suddenly lowered his head with interest and whispered in her ear: "You know me better and better! Are you planning to follow me all the time?"

Sayuri looked pitiful: "Ah! Why did Mr. Lin ask like this? Isn't it good for me to be your lover all the time?"

She had been in a relationship with Lin Zhichao for more than a year, and she felt very happy. Before each meeting, she would suffer from insomnia for several days, tossing and turning with such expectations, and could not fall asleep no matter what.

Although she also knew that Lin Zhichao already had two wives, she didn't care about that. She felt that there was nothing wrong with pursuing happiness!

Lin Zhichao said in a low voice: "It doesn't matter to me! It's just that I am a romantic person, and there are always all kinds of girls around me taking the initiative to get involved, and sometimes I can't refuse."

This sentence is half true and half false!

On the real side, many girls did take the initiative;

On the fake side, almost all of these girls were rejected by Lin Zhichao.

"I don't mind!" Sayuri Yoshinaga said firmly.

She was like a moth, knowing what a man like Lin Zhichao was like, but she couldn't let go of him at all.

Lin Zhichao suddenly felt a little troubled. Being unable to get rid of a woman was also a troublesome thing.

It was difficult to get rid of Hinaiko and Marina last time, but luckily they got rid of them again.

Thinking of this trouble, he beat her lungs out fiercely!

"Ah!"

Yoshinaga Sayuri's originally gentle voice also began to become excited.

When Lin Zhichao saw this, he immediately loosened the rope. After all, just a brief taste was enough, and he didn't really become T.

afterwards.

Lin Zhichao took Sayuri to take a hot spring bath. The two soaked in it and chatted comfortably.

"Sayuri, why do you become an actor? If it is for money, I can teach you how to invest and give you capital; if it is for hobby, I fully support your career!"

It is estimated that he and Yoshinaga Sayuri will have a relationship for at least five years. After all, it is difficult for Lin Zhichao to find suitable wild flowers. Therefore, he also has thoughts about a woman who has been with him for such a long time.

Money is the best thing!

Sayuri Yoshinaga said: "It's not all about money, I like acting! If you don't like it, I can give up being an actor."

She knelt down next to Lin Zhichao, wiping and massaging Lin Zhichao. Although she was also very tired, she was very happy.

Lin Zhichao closed his eyes, nodded and said: "Well, I understand, I support your acting! However, I also plan to spend 1 million US dollars to establish an investment fund belonging to the two of us, specializing in Japanese stock investment."

Sayuri Yoshinaga said in surprise: "Ah! So much money, and I don't know how to invest!"

What is the concept of 1 million US dollars?

A football player who is the "Asian Football King" comes to Hong Kong to join a Group A team, which means a monthly salary of HK$2,500. With this price, he is also the most expensive football player in Asia. He is talking about Qiu Zhiqiang, who is still playing football in Malaysia. In his previous life, when Qiu Zhiqiang joined the Jardine team, his monthly salary was HK$2,500, and he usually worked as a salesman for Jardine air-conditioners (air conditioners).

The cultural and sports stars of this era are really worthless.

The reason why Lin Zhichao was so generous was not because he was stupid, but because he planned to use Sayuri Yoshinaga's identity to speculate in Japanese stocks.

The Japanese stock market has been relatively sluggish in the past few years, but Lin Zhichao predicts that from 1967 to 1973 (the oil crisis will definitely adjust), the growth rate will still be very good. Because starting this year, the Japanese stock market began to relax restrictions on foreign investment.

(PS: The relaxation of restrictions on foreign capital’s purchase of shares (1967-1968), the liberalization of investment trusts (1970), and the liberalization of general investors’ purchases of foreign securities (1971) all promoted the Japanese securities market to gradually become international. change.)

Although foreign investment has been relaxed, Lin Zhichao does not plan to enter immediately. After all, he has no funds. But at the beginning of the 1970s, you can consider it, as long as the money from the oil crisis can be cashed out.

At this time, Lin Zhichao used Yoshinaga Sayuri's identity to trade stocks and use the money he earned to his woman for expenses; he could eventually withdraw his principal, which was equivalent to a wasted ticket.

In the next six years, it will have to triple to be reasonable!

"Of course I'll be the one to command you! Anyway, don't worry about it. Just follow my command. I won't treat my woman badly."

"Well, I'm obedient!"

Under Lin Zhichao's strong behavior, Sayuri Yoshinaga feels happier. This man also gave her some pocket money. She felt that she was valued, which was good!

Lin Zhichao is indeed very generous with women. Hinaiko and Marina followed him for several years and spent about 800,000 US dollars, which is more than 4 million Hong Kong dollars when converted into Hong Kong dollars. At this price, in Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s, you could find a Hong Kong sister. Of course, it was quite wild to play with the two of them!

Back in Hong Kong, things escalated again. Real and fake firecrackers began to flood all over Hong Kong, and a top ten "traitor list" was issued, including Jin Daxia, Jian Yueqiang, Li Fookshu, Zhong Shiyuan and others; almost all of them were media workers and two people. Bureau members, one attacked them in the newspapers, the other agreed to suppress them.

The good news is that Lin Zhichao is not on the list. After all, he is just a businessman and does not hold any public office. He does not need to speak for such things.

"What are the security measures for the Hung Hom Tunnel project?" Back at Cheung Kong Holdings, Lin Zhichao called Huang Changhong and asked.

The Hung Hom Tunnel is a project related to Hong Kong's future development prospects and must be foolproof.

Huang Changhong reported seriously: "Tight seals have been carried out at both ends. Half of the people are assigned to guard both ends, and the other half continue to work within the scope. The JC Bureau has also communicated well, and will arrange JCs with guns to patrol both sides every day. "

The Hong Kong government is also aware of the importance of this project and must not be undermined.

Lin Zhichao asked about the security of buildings, shopping malls and other properties. Generally speaking, it was not directly affected.

"In a while, I have to go abroad to deal with shipping matters. Your management must ensure the normal operation of the company and the emotional stability of the employees. As for the bargain hunting matter, don't rush to end it for the time being. This matter will continue to make a fuss for a while. months.”

"No problem. We are all united and will not be intimidated by the difficulties at hand. Moreover, the people in the company belong to white-collar and middle-class people in Hong Kong. It is impossible for them to immigrate. They can only work in Hong Kong with peace of mind."

Huang Changhong's words made Lin Zhichao quickly find the key - white-collar workers and the middle class can only stay in Hong Kong.

Lin Zhichao immediately said: "What does this mean? It means that these people will be the main force in buying houses in Hong Kong in the future, and Hong Kong has not lost them."

Huang Changhong nodded and said: "Indeed! An ordinary employee of our company has a salary of HKD 600. He will have no problem buying a house in the future."

Lin Zhichao immediately said: "Why the future? Last year, the housing price in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island was HK$52 to HK$55 per square foot; now it has dropped by HK$30 to HK$40 per square foot. A good house only costs 15,000~ 20,000 Hong Kong dollars. In this way, if you tell the company and those employees who just need to buy a house, the company encourages them to buy residential units outside, and the financial company is willing to provide them with a loan of 70% to 80%. As a boss, I can also ask them Guarantee, if they feel they have lost money in the future, I will pay for it with the purchase price."

This is probably the earliest employee 'welfare house' in Hong Kong. Of course, employees have to pay for this welfare house themselves.

Huang Changhong said with a smile: "This is probably the best benefit for a Hong Kong company. I will organize it right away!"

Lin Zhichao said: "Those without permanent property have no perseverance! If even the employees of a real estate company cannot afford a house, then how can they have confidence in real estate and in the company?"

Huang Changhong nodded and said: "The company's management has basically purchased houses, and some old employees have also purchased houses. This benefit can only be provided to those who have not purchased houses!"

"Yes, first-time homebuyers! When we lend to them, we also charge a low interest rate of 6%. This is fair."

"OK!"

It doesn't cost a lot of money, but it can increase the cohesion of the company. Moreover, the employees of Cheung Kong Holdings are of high quality and are all reserve talents and management. They will become the backbone of Cheung Kong Holdings in the future.

Therefore, Lin Zhichao's arrangement is naturally for the long term, and the company will never suffer losses.

At this time, Yangtze River Industry had prepared a total of 250 million yuan for bargain-hunting real estate (180 million yuan of which was Yangtze River Industry's funds); but it only purchased two properties owned by Li Gaofu, which cost only 13 million yuan, and the funds were very sufficient.